168-acre site in Robeson Township preserved

The 168 acres of rolling cornfields, woodlands and wetlands along Interstate 176 in Robeson Township once seemed destined for development.

It was there, between Morgantown and Gunhart roads, where developers had hoped to build the Villages of Green Hills.

But that was before Susquehanna Bank foreclosed on the property and before the discovery of an endangered species inspired a new plan and with it a new name: Green Hills Preserve.

After more than two years of fundraising, the Delaware County-based Natural Lands Trust spent $1.1 million to buy the land, its first preserve in Berks County.

"It's a bowl-shaped piece of property, so there's lots of long views in it," said Peter Williamson, vice president of conservation services for Natural Lands Trust. "It rolls nicely. It's really lovely. Right by some fairly developed areas is this quiet, peaceful bowl that will stay that way forever."

If the original developers had their way, the property would have been turned into a high-density residential community with 670 homes.

But when Ed Ritti of Prudential Fox and Roach Realtors was hired to sell the property, he came up with what he calls a more creative - if not unusual - solution.

"Our cure was, rather than try to negotiate with the proper agencies and develop the property, it seemed to make more sense to preserve it," Ritti said. "What we did was decide to take 168 acres and make it an entire habitat."

The Robeson supervisors agreed with the plan. In April, they voted to send the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources a letter in support of the project. They cited the need to protect critically endangered bog turtles and Allegheny Creek, a cold water fishery bisecting the preserve.

The discovery of the bog turtles was the death knell for the development, Township Manager Thomas Keim said, because it rolled back the acreage available for construction.

"The township's position was that the property set aside for this was not a piece of property suitable for development," Keim said. "It (the preserve) was something that was a natural fit."

In making the purchase, the Natural Lands Trust had financial help from various quarters, including the Berks County Conservancy and the Wyomissing Foundation, which provided $30,000.

The preserve will eventually be open to the public once money is raised for a hiking trail system and parking lot. In the meantime, it is already protecting not only the Allegheny Creek habitat but also 116 acres of foreclosed property not included in the preserve.

"The trickle-down is the development around it is going to be very light," Ritti said.